


like coming home

by riseupwiseupeyesup



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Afterlife, Fluff, For Tony's Birthday, M/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-29 09:09:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19016821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riseupwiseupeyesup/pseuds/riseupwiseupeyesup
Summary: On his birthday, Tony watches Morgan make a cake.





	like coming home

**Author's Note:**

> for tony's birthday. <3 thank u to noodles for the beta.

On his birthday, Tony watches Morgan make a cake.

It’s a delicate thing: two and a half layers, because she forgot to line the third pan with flour and the cake refused to come out. The top layer is an unevenly placed half moon situation as a result, and it looks so odd that Tony wishes he could reach through the screen and right it.

(Screen. Projection? Hologram? Like everything else in this place, he’s not sure what it is. When Nat brought him up to this room, eyes shining and smile impossibly wide, he sat down in the single armchair and stared, heavy and heartbroken. It took him three days to turn it on.)

At the other end of the counter is Pepper, determinedly cutting little flower shapes from the fondant. Her sleeves are rolled up and there’s flour in her hair. It’s an image so similar to Morgan’s first birthday that it warms him whole, starting in his chest and spreading out toward his hands and toes.

He can’t tell what color the cake’s going to be, but Morgan’s eyeing the dark red frosting like her life depends on it.

Maybe it does. Tony’s been told cake making is a very serious business.

Pepper’s lifting Morgan to watch the stand mixer whirl when they both hear a knock on the door. It’s Happy, with Peter in tow, and there’s a massive bag of cheeseburgers in his hand. Morgan squirms out of Pep’s grip and sprints over to him. Happy laughs when she hugs his calves, and he hands the bag to Peter so he can lift her and press a kiss to her cheek.

Peter looks good. Tony was worried about him, checking up on him just as constantly as Morgan and Pep, but he’s doing okay. There’s a girl now, Michelle, and Peter treats her a thousand times better than Tony ever did with Pepper. He’s proud of him. He’s so, so proud.

Peter hands the bag to Pep and she murmurs _thanks kid,_ before leading them to the kitchen. They crowd around the table and catch up in between arguing about frosting. Morgan takes charge, her voice loudest in the room, and declares that it’s going to be dark red or nothing at all. All of them backtrack, fumble over their apologies and agree with her instantly.

Tony loves them so much.

In the end, the cake is - well, Tony’s not really sure what it is. The sides are a rainbow of different colors, all mismatched, too much blue in one corner and too much yellow in another. The only cohesive design on the whole thing is the top of the cake. Dark red frosting as promised, and the fondant flowers are lining the sides. But on the half moon, someone (Tony guesses Peter; the lines are so steady) drew accent lines in golden-yellow, weaving through the flowers and coming down the crescent to form the words “Happy Birthday.”

It’s a faceplate. It’s his faceplate, undeniably. Red and gold and - and _perfect._

Tony doesn’t even know how long he’s been standing in the room, absently smiling, when someone comes up behind him. Arms winding around his torso and chin resting on his shoulder, Steve murmurs into his neck. “What color did she choose?”

“Red,” he replies. “For the suit.” His daughter is a genius. Nobody’s surprised.

Steve hums softly and Tony turns to kiss him, lips warm and pliant. The lack of urgency in the kiss is a blessing. He never thought he could have this. Steve kisses him like he knows it too, and pulls away before it goes deeper. Presses a kiss on Tony’s nose and turns, nodding at the screen.

They have the cake ready to go on a plate, candles unlit until it gets dark. At some point, Rhodey had arrived. Pepper gave him a hug and a look too needy and adoring to be just for a friend. Tony thinks Rhodey noticed, but he can’t tell. It was imperceptibly fast. (He can’t wait to watch that happen; they need each other.)

Morgan is walking out of the house with the cake in both hands, everyone trailing behind her. They’re… at peace. Tony has never seen the celebration of a dead man be so tranquil. Steve noses at Tony’s hair like he’s thinking the same thing.

_God, what a world. Universe, now._

Happy hands everyone a cheeseburger, and they eat on the pier until it gets dark.

Nat comes up to join Steve and Tony just as the candles are lit. She pushes the armchair out of the way and clings to Tony’s other side and Tony squeezes her arm. Steve wraps his arms around the both of them. “Just in time for the best part,” he says.

Morgan takes a deep breath. Looks at Pep, who smiles gently and nods. Rhodey brushes her hair back. She blows the candles out in a long exhale.

“I love you three thousand,” Tony breathes. Morgan pauses, smiling faintly, and for a second Tony thinks she can hear him. Tony doesn’t realize he’s crying until Steve wordlessly wipes a tear from his cheek.

“Happy birthday,” he whispers. Nat kisses his cheek, exactly where Steve wiped his tears.

And they linger. Watch Happy cut down the middle of the cake, faceplate splitting in two. Watch Pepper take a cautious bite from Rhodey’s fork. Watch Peter dab red frosting on Morgan’s nose.

For a man who has everything and nothing, Tony thinks he did okay.

**Author's Note:**

> the doc for this was named "it's 2019 tony is still alive fight me" and i still think it's a better title. thank u for reading!


End file.
